Ukraine begins Chinese CoronaVac vaccinations

Ukraine initiated vaccinations with the CoronaVac
vaccine from China, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov reported in an online
briefing on April 13. Stepanov reported that the first vaccinations will go
primarily to those “among low mobility groups and their caregivers, and social
workers. Other groups include educators, military and police, and Olympic and
Paralympic athletes “preparing for the Tokyo Olympics.”

The move comes as Ukraine’s infection and death rates
seem to be stabilizing. Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences noted on April 6
that the incidence rates had begun to plateau. On April 14, the Health Ministry
reported 11,680 new infections and 457 deaths over the past 24 hours.

James Hydzik: It seems
that a top is forming in terms of the number of cases and fatalities, but the
fatality rate is elevated compared to similar points in previous waves. The
Health Ministry pointed previously that the new strains being found are more
more lethal, and unfortunately, it seems that they are right. Whether CoronaVac
will help much in this case is in doubt, and even the Chinese have recently
lowered their estimates of the vaccine’s effectiveness.

Kyiv is scheduled to assess its epidemic response
on April 14. We expect the municipal government to continue the current
restrictions through Easter on May 2. It is an open question as to whether
restrictions will tighten.